the latest government data show the number of people in homeless families living in suburban and rural america rose nearly 60% during the depth of the great recession, an unprecedented surge. more than 1 million school children are now homeless, the most ever recorded. children like the kenard sisters, living a life of uncertainty and sometimes shame. >> the hardest part is people finding out. sometimes when we're on our way to school, we have to ride over in a church van and people can probably see that. >> reporter: what made you not want to tell everybody else? >> i don't want everybody to laugh at me. >> reporter: no one knew. you went to school every day, you played with your friends. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: then when they went home, what were you thinking? >> i was all happy for them because they had a house and i didn't. >> reporter: but she does have her precious birdhouse. why do you love it so much? >> because it reminds me of the old house. >> reporter: the kenards were typical of many families across country. working class people pursuing the american dream. they worked har